Several service industries have industry specific qualification and training requirements to ensure that operatives meet the highest standards. They also provide a clear career ladder and pathway for professionals who want to make their way upwards to management or other senior positions including training and mentoring using these very same methods. Find out how to get your BICS Training here.
For the cleaning industry in the UK, BICS or the British Institute of Cleaning Science oversees all associated professional training and qualifications including outlining the requirements for BICS certification and what is expected from BICS training providers as well as students.
BICS Training
The British Institute of cleaning science is the largest independent, professional and educational body within the cleaning industry with over 20,000 individual and corporate members. Their stated mission is to raise the status and standards of the cleaning industry through education and BICS training courses.
The main recognised qualifications are the British Cleaning Certificate Course; the BICS Licence to Practice and The Cleaning Professionals Skills Suite. There are also modules for BICS online training leading to Online E-learning Certification in various disciplines including Infection Control.
Every professional cleaning organisation or supplier will ensure that their staff are fully BICS qualified at the appropriate level for their assignment and will often help or entirely cover BICS training costs. They will also be able to either provide the training themselves or direct them to an appropriate, accredited BICS trainer.
There are several steps to attain BICS certification. Applicants have to undertake three mandatory units each year and achieve their ‘Licence to Practice’; they have to develop their skills with Base units and additional units and become a cleaning specialist within these specialist units.
The Mandatory units includes chemical competence; safe assembly and care of equipment; storage of equipment and materials and Licence to Practice renewal.
The Base Units include Dust control using mop sweeping; damp mopping; suction cleaning hard or soft floor coverings; manual brush sweeping; Emptying and cleaning general waste bins; dusting and damp wiping of surfaces; cleaning work surfaces and kitchen sinks; auto scrubber drying; glass cleaning; and cleaning hand hygiene basins, toilet and washroom facilities.
The additional units cover spray cleaning hard floor surfaces; buffering hard floors; machine scrubbing and drying; cylindrical brush machines; washing surfaces; polish application; stain removal; cleaning domestic refrigerators, microwaves, toasters and telephones; multi bucket floor mopping and cleaning squat toilets.
The additional specialist units include body fluids and sharp objects, biohazard decontamination cleaning, cleaning computers and lifts, carpet skimming and extraction cleaning, strip dry and reapply emulsion polish, graffiti and chewing gum removal, steam cleaning, pressure washing, machine sweeping and high level dusting and cleaning.
Cleaning Services
As you can see, the sheer breadth and depth of training disciplines and specialties available mean that any cleaning crew hired from Regional Services or other provider should have these BICS training.
Ask them to provide proof of qualification and if not, then look for an organisation that can supply them.
